Understanding the Habitual Use of Wearable Activity Trackers

Given the large discrepancy between rates at which wearable activity trackers (WATs) are initially adopted and their continued use, the question concerning how sustainable use emerges arises. While IS research has found habit an important driver of sustained use, the mechanisms of habit formation have been left unexplored. To address this research gap, we conducted narrative interviews to investigate the habit-formation mechanisms behind the use of WATs. We identified two drivers of habitual WAT use and constructed five narratives that provide insights into the habit-formation processes of WAT users and possible interrupting factors. Our results provide a valuable basis for both theory and practice in explaining how sustained WAT use develops.